Power driven laterally shiftable cultivator



May 4, 1965 A. sMlTH ETAL '3,181,619

POWER DRIVEN LATERALLY SHIFTABLE CULTIVATOR Filed April s, 1962 5 sheets-sheet 1y V) m' l May 4, 1965 A.sM1TH ETAL 3,181,619'l POWER DRIVEN LATERALLY SHIFTABLE CULTIVATOR Filed April s, 1962 5 sheets-sheet 2 ,2 INVENTORS ATTORNEY May 4, 1965 A. SMITH ETAL POWER DRIVEN LATERALLY SHIFTABLE GULTIVATOR Filed April s. 1962 5 Sheets-'Sheet 5 5f 43 4.9' BY f 2n? ATTORNEY May 4, 1965 A. sMlTH ETAL 3,181,619

POWER DRIVEN LATERALLY SHIFTABLE CULTIVATOR Filed April 3, 1962 5 SheetS-Sheet 4 INVENTORS A Zexander inizi/ 2 .8. D. ayya; cfr:

IW ATTORNEY May 4, 1965 lA. SMITH ETAL 3,181,619

' POWER DRIVEN LATERALLY SHIFTABLE CULTIVATOR Filed April 3, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS Alexander, Jazz/y@ ,Enna

ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,181,619 POWER DRIVEN LATERALLY SHIFTABLE CULTIVATOR Alexander Smith, Box 1460, and Burton D. Boggs, 2429 Laurel Ave., both of Sanford, Fla. Filed Apr. 3, 1962, Ser. N0. 184,357 1 Claim. (Cl. 172-99) This invention relates to the growth and harvesting of crops and to equipment employed including the mounting and operation in connection with a conventional tractor.

The invention relates particularly to a harvester which can be mounted upon a tractor and utilized for operating upon growth either above or within the soil, and which is capable of being contracted and returned to its initial projected position for avoiding obstructions such as trees andthe like when operating in citrus grooves and similar locations.

Various types of mowing or harvesting devices have been designed for operating on growth above or slightly below the surface of the soil, which devices have been mounted upon tractors of various kinds at the side, from the rear of the tractor, and some of such devices have been designed to be drawn towards the tractor and projected outwardly from such retracted position in order to avoid trees and other obstructions. These have been driven in many different ways and have had operating portions of different types of construction. While prior devices have been of value, they have been complicated, excessively heavy, cumbersome, relatively expensive and required a large amount of time in upkeep and operation, and they were not sufficiently flexible to fulll all requirements for which they were needed.

It is an object of the invention to overcome the ditliculties enumerated and to provide a device of simple, relatively inexpensive and foolproof construction in which the cutting blades are reversible and arranged in a manner to prevent vegetation becoming clogged either between the blades or about the shaft on which they are fastened, which can be supported at different elevations, can be disposed in extended position and retracted to avoid an obstruction and returned to its extended position, can be driven in a clockwise or counter-clockwise manner, with mounting means by which it is maintained in a definite transverse position relative to the axis of the tractor on which it is mounted, as well as simple mounting means and with hydraulic means for extending, retracting, raising and lowering from the drive system or power takeoff of the tractor itself, as well as a three-point suspension height adjustment and a height adjustment about a longitudinal axis or an adjustment whereby the angularity of the device can be adjusted to conform to the contour of the area in which operated, as well as mounting and driving means for multiple type apparatus, quick attaching and detaching means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustrating the use of the invention as applied to a conventional tractor;

FIG. 2, an enlarged top plan View;

FIG. 3, an enlarged front elevation with the operating member in elevated inoperative position for transportation;

FIG. 4, a section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5, a perspective of the flexible mounting and driving mechanism;

FIG. 6, a detail perspective showing the underside of the drive mechanism;

FIG. 7, a section on the line 7-7 of FIG. 2;

lll@ Patented May 4, 1965 rice FIG. 8, a rear elevation of the flexible driving mechanism;

FIG. 9, a section on the line 9-9 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10, a longitudinal section through the cutter mechanism on the line 10-16 of FIG. 2;

FIG. ll, a bottom plan view of the structure of FIG. l0;

FIG.

FIG.

FIG.

12, a section on the line 1212 of FIG. 2; 13, a section on the line 13-13 of FIG. 2; 14, a section on the line 11i- 14 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 15, a section on the line Iii-15 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 16, an enlarged transverse fragmentary detail of the cutter mechanism; and

FIG. 17, a fragmentary side elevation of the cutter blade mechanism of FIG. 16.

Briey stated, the invention is a device which can be mounted by means .of a threepoint hitch on a conventional tractor with the device being readily attachable and removable, can be driven from the power takeoif of the tractor, projected outwardly from the tractor and retracted to avoid obstructions, can be supported at any desired elevation, can be moved to conform to the contour of the terrain on which it is operated, can be raised and lowered and its angular position changed, and can be driven in opposite directions.

With continued reference to the drawings, the invention is intended to be applied to a tractor 10 of conventional construction having spaced hydraulicaliy operated lift arms 11 and a power take-olf 12 subject to conventional control mechanism including a control lever I3.

A connecting frame is provided for attachment to the tractor hitch and includes a pair of yokes 14 and 15 disposed at right angles one to the other, the yoke 14 being disposed transversely behind the vehicle and attached to a U-frame I6, the free ends of which U-frarne 16 are connected by a curved spacer bar 17.

Between the lower end of the yoke 15 and the U-frame 16 is mounted a gear box 18 from which extend shafts 19 and 20, adapted to be driven from the power take-olf to provide a drive in two directions. The gear box 18 is adapted to drive through a friction clutch 21 and a universal joint 22, a shaft 23 which telescopes within a complementary sleeve 24 and such sleeve is connected to an additional -universal joint 25 for driving a shaft 26 extending into a gear box 27 connected by means of a universal joint 28 to a drive shaft 29.

The drive shaft 29 is mounted between parallel bars 3i) connected to sleeves 31 through which pivot bolts 32 extend, upper and lower supporting brackets 33 being provided at one end and corresponding brackets 34 being provided at the opposite ends of the bars 3i), such bars forming the sides of a parallelogram so that the brackets 34 and mounting plate 3S connected thereto always are in parallel relation to the brackets 33 and transverse to the axis of the vehicle. If desired a screen 3S may be disposed beneath the lower supporting brackets 33 and 34 and pivotally connected thereto by bolts 34 to guard against rocks being thrown against the drive shaft 29, bars 30 and associated joints.

To one of the bars 3i? is welded or otherwise secured a pair of lugs 36 between which is received a pivot pin 37 to which is pivoted a piston 38 extending into an hydraulic cylinder 39 mounted on a support frame 40 which is pivotally connected to the U-frarne 16. By the operation of the hydraulic cylinder 39 u-nder the influence of a control lever 40', the shaft 29 can be swung between the parallelogram bars 3i) and about the universal joint 28. The parallel bars 30 and brackets 33 and 34 form one leg of a generally L-shaped mounting frame the other leg of which is `formed by the support frame eil and the connecting frame.

The drive shaft 29 is connected by means of a universal ,am '41 which @rivera haft 42 and a bevel gear 43 xed Y' thereto within aV pivotally mounted-gear box 44. "Thea tubular-shaft` or sleeve 50. The shaft 49'is'mrounted in bearings 51 attached to the end of a housing 52.

' Y Onthesleeve 50. arellocated a series of overlapping;V mounting lugs 53 eaehgs'et ata slight angle or are spirally arrangedalong'said sleeveso'that there can be nopspace for the yacctrlmulation of cut Vines, growth, or the like.

' CuttinglbladesV 54 are-provided having slot 54,',for the .Y

receipt of Vbolts y55 by Whichsuch blades are' attachedjto .n E the-mountinglugs 53. i Theseblades make close Vcontact I i with a shear'{bar..56ito provide the'necessa'ry shearing `15 action andsuch Vshear'bar has, slots 57V aecommodatlng :mounting bolts or fasteners 5S lfor adj'ustably 'attaching'V Y the shear bar 'on the housing 52.V The'- slots 57 haveV enlargements 59 totpermit the heads of the `fasteners 58 :to pass therethroughand thus lpermit.theapplication and Y removal ofthe she-ar bar S6. Y Y

lAs the lcutter Vblades 54 Wear Yvvith use, the shear bar "56iisV adjustedto lretain close relationship andra satisfac- 'tory cutting surface. VvWhen Vthe shear bar 56 is movedV Y as far as possible Within Ythe limits ofthe -slots S7tl1e l cutter blades 54 are removed and reversed'.` This providesvery inexpensive cutting blades for less than average rand the liferof which is twice that of a single edgecutting blade. f Y y To the eutter housing 52 are attached outer and inner skid members 60 and 61 which serve to space the cutter housing from the'earth or limit 4the penetration ofY theV cutters into the earth. Y

' In order that the `cutter may conform tothe contour f of the terrain throughout the length of the cutter, pivoting-means at the mounting end of the cutter bar is provided, such means including a mounting pil-ateV y62 (FYIG. 2) which -attaches'to the plate 35 by means of bolts/63.y

To the mounting plate 62 is welded or otherwise secured a bar 64 at right angles to such plate, and to this ban are secured by bolts 65 arpair of spaced brackets 66 and 67 having extremitiesV providing bearings 68 and 69 in vwhich are journaled supports 70'to allow theY gear box l and the cutter barpto pivot to Vconformto the contour of the terrain. The housing'and gear box may be pivoted about the bearings 68 and 69 to Van upright posi-tionand fastened in such position by means of a hook 71 engaging 'a lug 72.

desired elevation andV driven selectively in either direction Vthus to increase the ilexi'bilityof the device and its adaptability to a particular situation.

,ItV Will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various"changes may be made in theinvention Withoutrdeparting from'the spirit scope thereof and therefore the invent-ionisnot limitedv` by that which isfillustra'ted in the n* drawings and described Vinthespecification, butonly as .indicated inthe accompanying claim... 1 What isclaimed is;v

. A oultiva'toufor,-attaehment tof-a traeter ai manner ,-toextend to one sideithereohsaid cult-ivatorcomprising iai rst-fframe connected 'Ito Land' extending .transversely to onesideof thev tractor, ja second framepivotallywconneeted` to' saidjir-st -fraine .and extending .forwardly there- ,romf onA au axis generally parallel to Ythev direction Vof itravel for adjustment laterally in a horizontalplane, said lsecond framerc'omprising ,afrpair of parallel linksdisposed 'in aV generally.V horizontal plane, a Work unit mounted on Vthe forward end of-said second' frame, driving means conlnected Vto'trarlsmit' power to said Work unit, and control -rr'iean's forlprodueing lateral adjustment of said second Y frame andwork unit.

References Cited byl `the Examiner .UNITEDV (STATES PATENTS 1,899,439 2/,33 Gratiot 564-294 Y 2,483,683 V10/49 Wells et al. 56-254 j 2,592,928 V4l/,52 Martin 56-23 X 2,725,704 12/55 Skromme 56.--15 `2,745,237 5/56 Elliott 56-23 X 2,748,679 6/56 Roig/ers4 172-9 2,771,829 1l/56 Sahlbon 172-98 2,790,294 4/57 MarCh/ 56--294 f 2,791,953 j 5/57 Erickson et al 172-98 2,849,850 9/58 `vODonnelletal 56.--15 2,865,160 12/58l Farwell 56426 2,920,433.; 1,/60 Brady 56-.24 V2,941,347 6/60 YVStrom 576-26 3,035,393 5/62, Mathews L 56-294 3,078,929 2/63 1 Kruse' 172-305 X K Y Y FOREIGN PATENTS 1,257,784- Y 2/61 mFranee..v l

878,575 10/61 Great Britain.

j T. GRAHAM CRAVER, Primary Examiner.

VIt will be apparent from the Afore-going that'the'present Y invention provides a harvester 'includingy projectible and retractible cutting means which can be disposed atV theV CARL'W'. ROBINSON, lAisuoNIo F. GUIDA, AR-

NOLD RUEGG, Examitl'em y 

